JSW crude steel output drops 17% in January

NEW DELHI: JSW Steel today reported a 17.23 per cent decline in output for January to 9.27 lakh tonnes due to shutdown of three blast furnaces at different locations.

The planned shutdowns have been done to enhance capacity and the furnaces would resume production this month.

The company had recorded a production of 11.20 lakh tonnes for January last year.

"Crude steel production is lower in January 2016 due to planned shutdown of one blast furnace each at all three locations viz Vijayanagar, Dolvi and Salem; for capacity enhancement which are expected to resume production during February 2016," the company said in a BSE filing.

Output of flat products dropped to 7.47 lakh tonnes during the month compared with 9.07 lakh tonnes in January 2015.

Long products output was recorded at 2.51 lakh tonnes as against 1.76 lakh tonnes.

JSW Steel is a part of the diversified $11-billion JSW group with presence in steel, energy, infrastructure etc.

The firm has an installed steel-making capacity of 14.3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and Vijayanagar plant is one of the largest single location steel producing facilities in the country with a capacity of 10 MTPA.